Garment.



A. MALSIN.

GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 4, 1913.

Patented June 22, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

jar 1572929393 a THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

A. MALSIN.

GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 4. 1913.

Patented June 22, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. 'MALSEN.

GARMENT.

APPLICATION men OCT- 4. 191a.

1,1M,M& Patented June 22, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NORRIS PETERS co.v PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D.

ALBERT MALSIN, OF NEW YORK, II. Y.

GARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 22, 31915.

. Application filed October 4, 1913. Serial No. 793,269.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MALSIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmg.

My present invention relates to certain new and'useful improvements in adjustable garments, which are adapted to be made larger or smaller with very little effort so as to suit the size of the wearer.

The object of the invention is to so construct a waist, dress, skirt, or similar garment, that it can be made larger or smaller to suit the size of the person wearing it, and to be adaptable for varying degrees of stoutness, and yet enable the'garment always to present a neat and tasty appearance, with substantially the same design and outward efiect at all times, whether expanded to its larger size or contracted to its smaller dimensions.

The invention consists essentially in a garment, particularly for ladies, having sev-. eral sections held together'loosely by strips or lengths of rubber or other elastic material, the openings between the sections of the dress being covered by auxiliary or supplemental sections so that as the dress is opened at the sides, front or rear, as the case may be, the openings will be covered by the other parts of the dress, and hence the same general effect will be secured at all times. And the invention also consists essentially in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention; Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved garment, the same being shown in the way in which it appears when actually worn. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front 1 perspective fragmentary. view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dress built after the same pattern as the dress shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of the invenshowing the dress of the form indicated in Fig. 5 when the same is in actual use.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

In carrying my invention into effect, I aim to arrange panels or sections of the dress consisting of waist and skirt which are flexibly connected together so that they may be spread apart from each other and leave openings that can be covered up by other sections of the dress, so that the whole garment, without materially changing its outward appearance, can be made larger or smaller to accommodate varying degrees of stoutness. Obviously the invention is broad enough to cover, therefore, a dress made up of several such sections flexibly connected together, the flexible connection usually taking the form of rubber strips and there be ing, therefore, concentric dress portions whose members overlap each other partially or completely in a wide variety of difierent forms. Take, for instance, Fig. 3, which is a horizontal cross-section of the dress shown on the lay-figure in Fig. 1. In this Fig. 3 the inner dress sections are three in number, as 1, 2 and 3, the three making up a complete circle. Sections 2 and 3 are separable from section 1 at the points 4 and 5, and are separable from each other at the front at the point 6. Through the sections 1, 2 and 3 there passes loosely one or more elastic or rubber strips 7. On this rubber strip 7 the sections 1, 2 and 8 are adjustable in such a way as to bring the ends of the section 1 close to the ends of the sections 2 and 3, or away from the ends of said sections, so as to leave the spaces 4 and 5 of greater or less size, and thus proportionately increase or diminish the circumference of this inner dress. When the inner dress, which I have thus explained, made up. of the sections 1, 2 and 8, is expanded so as to make the openings 4 and 5 of substantial size, it is necessary that these openings be covered, if the dress is to present its usual outer appearance, and at this time the outer concentric skirt comes into use, which is made up of the sections 8 and 9 that surround the inner sections 1, 2 and 3, said sections 8 and 9 being substantially semicircular and being held together by means of the inner, loosely-arranged rubber 1 or elastic tape 10, which passes entirely around from one end of the section 8 at the 7 same dress illustrated in practical use in front to the adjoining end of the section 9 at the front. The ends of the rubber 10 at this front point 6 are secured by stitching or otherwise to the projecting end of the innor rubber strip 7, which belongs to the inner dress. The sections 9 and 10 are arranged at the back of the dress so as to leave an opening 11 between them, which is of greater or less size, accordingly as the sections 9 and 10 are adjusted upon their elastic connection. This opening 11 in the outer dress portion is in turn covered by a flap or panel 12 having a loop 13 through which the elastic 10 passes, and having also attached thereto the belt 1 1 which passes around to the front of the garment and is provided with some suitable fastener or hook at 15. Thus it will be seen that in this form of dress there are really two concentric dresses, one made up of three parts, which are separable from each other to give adjustment to the garment, and the other made'up of two parts likewise separable from' each other to give further adjustment, besides the panel which completes the closing of the garment at the rear and makes a neat and tasty finish so that by adjusting the sections of the outer and inner portions of the dress upon their respective elastic connections it is possible to make the dress considerably larger or considerably smaller, 1

as the case may be, and thus a wide and substantial amount of change is made possible in the size of the garment without destroying, or in fact materially changing, its outer appearance. Obviously, the sections ofthe inner skirt, as well as those of the outer skirt which carry the elastic cords 7 and 10, are suitably looped, stitched or otherwise provided with passages as shown at 4:0 in Fig. 4 for loosely containing said elastic strips and allowing the pieces of dress goods to slip easily on the elastics.

Another of the many forms that the invention may take is indicated in the sectional view in Fig. 5, which is a view of the Fig. 7. In this form the skirt is made of two semicircular parts 16 and 17, which are open at the front at 18 and at the back at 19; Through these parts 16 and 17 runs the elastic strip or cord 20, the two ends of which at the opening 18 are provided with fasteners at 21. The sections 16 and 17 are similar to the sections 1, 2 and 3 and 8 and 9 in Fig. 3, and are similarly related tothe elastic cord that runs through them so that they are capable of being moved back and forth on the elastic cord 20, thus making the openings 18 and 19 greater or less, the expansion depending upon the size of the wearer, so that the garment is easily adjustable to varying degrees of stoutness. In order to easily cover the opening 19 the dress is provided with a rear flap or panel opening 18 and this panel may be stitched to the dress for a part of the distance in front as shown at 27 in Fig. 7 j 7 Another form of the invention is shown in the sectional view of Fig. 6, where there is an inner skirt of circular form 28 having creased portions 29, which enable it to be adjustable in size to a greater or less extent and being preferably made of some suitable soft delicate material. Outside of the skirt 28 is the concentric outer skirt composed of a semicircular section 30, and two other sections 31 and 32, these sections 31 and 32 being separated at the front by an opening 33 which will be closed when the garment is in use, and said sections 31(and 32 being separated from the section 30 at 34 and 35.

The elastic cord strip 36 runs through the sections 30, 31 and 32 and enables the said sections to be separated. from each other a greater or less distance at 34 and 35 sothat the garment may be adjustable to the size of the wearer. lVhen the openings 34 and 35 are sufliciently large to make a gap this gap will be covered by the inner skirt 28; hence the general, superficial appearance of the whole skirt will remain substantially the same however much. it may be automatically adjusted by the wearer inbeing expanded or contracted in its dimensions. As usual the meeting edges at the front opening 33 will be provided with some suitable fastener, as 37.

Thus it will be seen that the general principle of my invention runs through quite a varietyof forms, the idea being to provide number'of series so pearance to any appreciable or noticeable extent.

Many variations may be made inthe details of the invention without exceeding the scope of the same. In Fig. 1, for example, I have illustrated an elastic belt 38 which surrounds the garment and can be stretched very easily, it being provided with some suitable elastic substance, which will enable it to be flexible and yielding. This can be applied to the different forms of the invention shown in the other figures or to some special form with which it may be more particularly suited for use.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a garment, the combination with a dress portion having a generally cylindrical form adapted to surround the wearer and divided into a number of sections separable from each other so as to leave vertical openings, of horizontal flexible means running loosely through the sections and capable of stretching to permit of the adjustment of the sections with relation to each other, and flexible means for covering the openings between the sections when they are separated so as to permit the general external appearance of the garment to remain the same.

2. In a garment, the combination with a dress portion having a generally cylindrical form adapted to surround the wearer and divided into a number of sections separable from each other so as to leave vertical openings, of yielding means running loosely through the sections along a horizontal line for separating said sections and capable of stretching to permit of the adjustment of the sections with relation to each other, and a flexible concentric dress portion likewise divided into a number of sections which cover the openings between the sections of the first mentioned dress portion when the latter are separated so as to permit the general external appearance of the garment to remain the same at all times.

3. In a garment, the combination of a sectional skirt, an'elastic'device arranged in connection therewith to permit the sections to separate from each other when the skirt is expanded, and a concentric skirt likewise composed of sections, and elastic means passing through the latter sections for enabling them to separate from each other when the skirt is stretched, the sections of the outer skirt overlapping the openings between the sections of the inner skirt.

4. In a garment, the combination of an inner sectional skirt, elastic means for enabling the sections to separate from each other, an outer sectional skirt, whose sections lie opposite to the opening between the sections of the inner skirt, elastic means running through the sections of the'outer skirt for permitting expansion of the latter when the sections are separated, and a panel or flap overhanging the opening between the sections of the outer skirt, and belting means for the garment.

5. In a garment, the combination with a dress portion divided into a number of sections separable from each other so as to leave vertical openings, an elastic device arranged in connection therewith to permit the sections to separate from each other when said dress portion is expanded, and a second concentric dress portion likewise composed of sections, together with elastic means passing through the latter sections, the sections of one dress portion covering the openings between those of the other.

6. In a garment, the combination with a dress portion divided into a number of sections separable from each other so as to leave vertical openings, elastic means passing horizontally through the sections and permitting them to separate from each other in a flexible manner so as to be adjustable to the person of the wearer, and concentric dress portion likewise divided into a number of sections separable from each other so as to leave vertical openings, elastic means passing through the sections of the latter dress portion horizontally for enabling them to separate from each other when said dress portion is stretched, the sections of one dress portion covering the openings between the sections of the other.

7. In a garment, the combination 01"- an inner dress portion divided into a number of sections, elastic means passing loosely through the sections to enable them to separate from each other so as to leave vertical openings, an outer dress portion likewise divided into a number of separable sections, which sections lie opposite to the openings between the sections of the inner dress portion, elastic means running loosely through the sections of the outer dress portion for permitting expansion of the latter when the sections are separated, and a panel or flap overhanging the opening between the sections of the outer dress portion.

8. In a garment, the combination of an inner dress portion divided into a number of sections, elastic means passing loosely through the sections to enable them to separate from each other so as to leave vertical openings, an outer dress portion likewise divided into a number of separable sections, which sections lie opposite to the openings between the sections of the inner dress portion, elastic means running loosely through the sections of the outer dress portion for permitting expansion of the latter when the sections are separated, the elastic means for the outer dress portion being securely fastened at its ends to the ends of the elastic means for the inner dress portion, and a panel or flap overhanging the opening between the sections of the outer dress portion, said panel or flap being loosely connected to the elastic means for the outer dress portion.

9. In a garment, the combination with a dress portion composed of a series of sections divided vertically from each other, of

a second concentric dress portion likewise divided vertically into a series of sections, elastic means passing horizontally and loosely through the sectionsof the first dress portion, and elastic means passing loosely and horizontally through the sections of the second dress portion, all arranged so that V the members of each series of sections may separate from each other Whenthe elastic means are stretched, and the sections of one series covering the openings between'the sections of the other dress portion, so as to permit in the adjustment of the sections the general external appearance of the garment to remain the same.

10. In a garment, the combination With a dress portion composed of a series of sections divided Vertically from each other, of a second concentric dress portion like- Wise divided vertically into a series of sections, elastic means passing horizontally and loosely through the sections of the first dress portion, and elastic means passing loosely and horizontally through the sections of the second dress portion, the elastic means for the second concentric dress portion being securely fastened at its ends to the elastic meansof the sectional dress portion, all arranged so that the members of each series of sections may separate from ALBERT MALSiN.

Witnesses i HARRY LEVERMAN, ABE STEIN.

G'opies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

